Biography

Robert L. (Bob) Hylton became our Senior Pastor on 3 January 2013.

Bob is a commissioned missionary of the North American Mission Board. He previously served as the Director of Evangelism and Leadership for the Baptist Convention of Pennsylvania/South Jersey. Prior to that assignment, Bob served as Director of Missions in Philadelphia, PA for 3 years and Director of Church Strengthening for 8 years. Bob’s enjoys working with churches and helping equip people for fulfilling the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20. He has also served as interim pastor of 7 churches in Pennsylvania over the past 10 years. Prior to coming to Pennsylvania, Bob pastored in Florida for 16 years and was the Senior Pastor of the largest multi-ethnic/multi-cultural church in Broward County, Florida.

The band Switchfoot has a song called “A New Way to Be Human.” The song lyrics speak about the power of God to produce the character of God in us:

There's a new way to be human - It's nothing we've ever been

There's a new way to be human - It's spreading under my skin

There's a new way to be human - Where divinity blends

With a new way to be human - New way to be human

A new you – that’s what the sermon series “A New Way to Be Human” is all about. You'll learn about the life-transforming qualities God wants to cultivate inside you. You'll discover a supernatural agent who empowers you to attain them: the Holy Spirit, working within you. You can live a supernatural life that transforms every relationship you have and in the process discover the one route to a truly satisfying life - “A New Way to Be Human”.

The greatest goal in life is to know God and help others know God. The early disciples were transformed through the resurrection of Jesus and the “breath” of the Holy Spirit. This three part series is a short story about that amazing transformation of fearful men into bold, passionate apostles and their impact on others with the Good News of Jesus.

Everybody wants a happy home. Most people want a purposeful home: a home with a mission and destiny beyond the mere satisfaction of our own daily desires. We want homes where each person flowers rather than fades. Trusting in Christ as Savior and orienting your family relations on him transforms the home into a little heaven on earth. Ephesians shows us there is more grace and power for your love under the Lordship of Jesus than anywhere else. He is the foundation of the family connecting heaven to home.

When Jesus asked people to follow him, he wasn’t inviting people on a picnic. He was inviting people into discipleship - a radical reorientation of their lives. Following Christ is a total reorientation of values, affection, priorities, choices and dreams. In this message series we will rediscover the foundational commitment to Jesus for Courageous Discipleship as the Lord and master of our lives.

Mark, the shortest and simplest of the four gospels, gives a crisp and fast-paced account of the life and activity of Jesus Christ. Mark reveals Jesus as the “Servant” of God who is constantly preaching, healing, teaching and ultimately dying on the Cross. In Mark’s gospel Jesus begins his ministry with large crowds which soon narrows to twelve disciples and finally culminates in his death on the Cross. Mark presents Jesus fulfilling a much larger purpose clearly summarized in Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” And that pattern of selfless service becomes the model for those who believe and follow Jesus – the Servant Savior.

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” - 1 Timothy 6:17

“Guidelines for Thanks-Giving” is a series about the life that is truly life from 2 Corinthians 8:1 through 9:15. Gospel living is generous living: “God so loved the world that he gave” (John 3:16). Generous living recognizes that all things—our gifts, our time, our resources—have come from God both for our enjoyment and as a means of blessing others. Generous living starts by giving ourselves first to the Lord.

Inside refers to the inner part of a person such as inward knowledge, character, perception and feelings. Inside Out is an idiomatic expression meaning to “Turn the inner part facing outward.” Inside Out Living is a metaphor for Christian living— our changing of heart, mind, and behavior as followers of Christ.

The Inside Out Living message series explores the meaning and application of Christian living from Matthew 5-7—the famous teaching of Jesus known as the Sermon on the Mount.

People were amazed at the authority with which Jesus taught the kingdom of Heaven. They were amazed at his grasp of God the Father. But what he did among the people – that was stunningly amazing: he stilled the raging seas, he healed the sick and he revived the dead back to life!

Join in as we continue teaching through the Gospel of Matthew chapters 8-9 in the new series “Jesus on the Move.” We will explore the recorded miracles of Jesus and learn about the power and purpose behind those miracles and how that power is still present in Jesus today.

Why should the church be concerned about “mission”? What does “mission” look like?

The answer in both issues is found in the person and work of Jesus - the Son of God incarnate. Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to form, call and gift the church to share in his ongoing ministry, which is fulfilling the Father's mission to the world. In short, the church exists because of, and for God's mission. The church is no mere 'tool' in God's hand, but is called to actively participate – “partner as co-workers” in mission with him.

We are to be disciples – meaning those who not only hear his voice, but actively join with him in the power of the Holy Spirit to live as God’s people on mission with God in the world.

God is the source of spiritual passion. The Holy Spirit comes to ignite us with holy fire. In the world we live in, natural passion is often a key to success and impact.

Fulfilling your purpose will require passion (zeal, fervency or enthusiasm). "Spiritual Passion" has to do with our heart – the internal fire that motivates us and energizes us to fulfill our purpose and do God's will.

Knowing Biblical information is valuable, but possessing the fire from Scripture is invaluable. Nothing major in history was ever accomplished without zeal and dedication. It is the deciding difference between successful and unsuccessful people in every field of endeavor in life. The fire on the inside affects everything on the outside.

William Arthur Ward author of Fountains of Faith, is one of America's most quoted writers of inspirational maxims said: "Enthusiasm and persistence can make an average person superior; indifference and lethargy can make a superior person average."

The Apostle Paul said it this way: "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." Rom 12:11

The Psalms reflect many different moods: joy, sorrow, shame, thanksgiving, pride, fear, love and blessedness. The Psalm writers tell of sleepless nights, trembling with fear, and do not hide flowing tears. They inspire with words that ascend to heights of praise and thankfulness, and in the next Psalm, express deep sorrow, lament loss and sinfulness. In other parts of Scripture, God speaks to people in His Word. In the Psalms, people are speaking directly to God. It is my prayer that through this series of messages entitled Summer Psalms, you will find yourself speaking directly to God too!

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. The theological word for the birth of Jesus is the word "incarnation.” It means “clothing or state of being clothed with flesh.” As a Christian doctrine it means, "that Jesus, the Son of God, was conceived in the womb of Mary and that Jesus is true God and true man."

Jesus lived as a man among us and that is the greatest news ever. He came to acquaint Himself with difficulty, resist Satan, face temptation, contend with storms, ache with hunger, bear our burdens, and feel our pain.

The incarnation assures us that we don’t have to face life alone. God stepped out of eternity and now He is approachable. God, through Christ, is with us! That’s the incarnation.

A lot has changed. Parents today face a range of demands and pressures personally and professionally, engage and communicate via constantly evolving technologies, and hold vastly different beliefs about what it means to raise children.

All parents, especially single ones, are often exhausted. It's no wonder that parents today get discouraged, feel guilty, and are tempted to give up. So how do we effectively equip parents to become the spiritual influencers in their children's lives? This message series is an up-close and personal dialogue with parents about timeless values for today’s families that both honors and encourages their efforts.